Window-sash balance



Patented Mar. 10, 1931 JOHN F. KERR, 0F ALTURAS, CALIFORNIA WINDOW-SASH BALANCE Application filed July 5, 1928. Serial No. 290,571.

My invention relates to improvements in window sash balances, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a window sash balance that does away with the necessity of providing the usual cord and weights but which in turn makes use of a spring-pressed shoe that frictionally engages with the window frame for holding the window sash in adjusted position. The shoe prevents rattling of the window. The spring may be adjusted for varying the tension of the shoe upon the window frame.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window showing the position of the device in the sash;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through th device;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the shoe.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 6; and

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the element shown in Figure 5.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a window frame 1 that has sashes 2 and 3 mounted therein. The frame 1 is provided with grooves 42 for receiving the sash. I have shown one of the grooves 4 in Figure 2 and have shown the sash 2 as being slidable in the groove.

In the sash 2, I bore a recess 5 that extends part way through the side rail of the sash. I then bore an opening 6 of a smaller diameter than the bore 5. The axes of the recess and the opening are aligned and extend at right angles to the bottom of the groove 4.

Within the recess 5 I dispose a cylindrical casing 7 which has a closed end 8 (see Figure 5). The cylinder is slidably disposed within the recess 5 and slidably carries a cylindrical portion 9 of a shoe 10. The shoe hasdi ametrically opposed slots 11 therein and these slots receive downwardly extending tongs 12 that are carried by the cylinder 7. The tongs are bent down into the slots after the cylinder and shoe have been assembled.

Within the cylinders 7 and 9 I mount a spring 13, and this spring tends to keep the shoe 10 in frictional contact with the bottom of the groove 4.

Means for adjusting the cylinder 7 within the recess 5 is provided and comprises a left handed screw 14 having a disc 15 and a reduced portion 16, the latter having a kerf 17 in its free end. The screw 14: is threaded through a threaded bore 18 in the end wall 8, while the disc 15 bears against the wall 19 constituting the bottom of the recess 5, and the reduced cylindrical portion 16 extends through the opening 6.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The device is sold as a unit and the screw 14 together with the shoe 10 are connected to the cylinder 7 so that the only thing necessary in mounting the device in a window sash is'to bore the large recess 5 and the small opening 6 in the window.

The device is now inserted and the window sash placed back in the window frame. An adjustment of the cylinder 7 may be had by simply turning the cylindrical portionlG in one direction or the'other. This-will move the cylinder 7 together with the shoe 10 into contact with the bottom of the groove 4. The spring 13 exerts the same amount of force against the shoe regardless of the particular adjustment of the cylinder 7 because the spring is disposed between the end wall 8 and the shoe 10. If, however, the shoe 10 already bears against the bottom of the groove and the operator wishes to increase the tension of the spring, a turning of the cylindrical portion 16 to the right will cause the left-hand screw 14 to move the cylinder 7 toward the open end of the recess 5. This increases the tension of the spring as the shoe 10 is held against movement.

The shoe frictiona-lly engages with the groove 4 and holds the sash in adjusted position. Furthermore, the spring 13 keeps the shoe yieldingly in contact with the window frame at all times and this prevents the sash from rattling. The shoe makes it unnecessary to provide wells in the window frame for receiving the sash weights.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes, and I reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A window sash balance comprising a cylinder having a closed end with a threaded bore in the end, a shoe having a cylindrical portion slidably mounted in said cylinder, the cylindrical portion having slots therein, said cylinder having tongs bent down into the slots, a spring disposed in said cylinder and bearing against the end wall thereof and against said shoe. a left-handed screw mounted in the threaded bore and carrying a. disc disposed exteriorly of said cylinder, and a reduced cylindrical member axially aligned with said screw and disc, and forming an integral part therewith and having a kerf in its free end.

2. The combination with a window frame having a window sash, said sash having a recess therein and an opening leading from the recess to the inner edge of the sash, of a cylinder disposed in said recess and having a closed end with a threaded bore therein, a screw threaded in the bore and having an integral disk for bearing against the bottom of the recess and an integral cylindrical portion extending through said opening in the sash and having a kerf in its exposed end, a shoe slidably engageable with the window frame and having a sleeve slidable in the cylinder, said sleeve and said cylinder having cooperating means for permanently securing them together for preventing a rotational movement therebetween and for limiting the axial movement therebetween, and a spring bearing against the closed end of said cylinder and against said shoe.

JOHN F. KERR. 

